The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a globally recognised body established in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
Here we’ll explain the Role of the IPCC, how it functions, plus summarising the key benefits and criticisms of the panel.
What Role Do The IPCC Play?
The IPCC’s primary objective is to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its impacts, potential future risks, and possible adaptation and mitigation strategies. This makes the IPCC a critical player in the global response to climate change.
The IPCC doesn’t conduct its own research. Instead, it reviews and synthesises existing climate science research from thousands of scientific papers, providing comprehensive reports that are meant to be policy-relevant but not policy-prescriptive.
In other words, the IPCC doesn’t tell governments what to do, but it offers them a clear scientific foundation on which to base their climate policies.
The IPCC’s primary mandate includes:
Assessing Climate Change: Reviewing scientific literature on climate change to understand how human activities are impacting the climate system.
Projecting Future Climate: Providing projections about future changes in the climate, based on different levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
Assessing Impacts and Risks: Evaluating the environmental, social, and economic impacts of climate change, from rising sea levels to heatwaves, and the potential risks to ecosystems, infrastructure, and communities.
Offering Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies: Suggesting ways to reduce or cope with the negative effects of climate change, including adaptation strategies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Structure of the IPCC
The IPCC is structured into three working groups and a Task Force, each focusing on different aspects of climate change:
Working Group I (WGI) focuses on the physical science of climate change. It assesses the scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change, such as temperature increases, sea level rise, and changing weather patterns.
Working Group II (WGII) deals with climate change impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation. This group evaluates how climate change affects natural systems, human health, agriculture, water resources, and more.
Working Group III (WGIII) addresses the mitigation of climate change. It looks at ways to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases by promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies.
The Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories helps countries measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions.
Each of these working groups is made up of hundreds of volunteer scientists and experts from around the world.
These scientists come from diverse fields, including atmospheric science, economics, ecology, and engineering. Their contributions are rigorously reviewed by both the scientific community and government representatives.
How the IPCC Functions
The IPCC operates through a multi-step process to ensure the credibility and transparency of its findings:
Scoping: The first step is identifying the key questions and areas of focus for a report. This is done with input from governments, scientists, and other stakeholders.
Writing and Review: Drafts of the report are written by expert authors and undergo multiple rounds of review. This includes internal reviews by the authors themselves, followed by external reviews by independent scientists, and finally, government reviews. This exhaustive process ensures that the findings are both scientifically sound and relevant to policymakers.
Approval and Publication: Once the final draft is completed, it is reviewed and approved by the IPCC member governments. The approved reports are then made publicly available.
When Does the IPCC Report?
The IPCC produces comprehensive Assessment Reports (AR) approximately every 5 to 7 years, with the most recent report, AR6, having been released in parts from 2021 to 2022.
In addition to these major reports, the IPCC also publishes Special Reports on specific topics, such as the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C, and Methodology Reports that provide guidance for countries on measuring greenhouse gas emissions.
Benefits of the IPCC
Scientific Credibility: The IPCC reports are widely regarded as the most comprehensive and reliable source of climate science. This credibility comes from its thorough review process and the diversity of experts who contribute to its findings.
Global Reach: The IPCC includes scientists and policymakers from around the world, ensuring that its findings are globally relevant and inclusive of diverse perspectives.
Policy Influence: While the IPCC does not create policies, its reports heavily influence global climate negotiations, such as those under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC). For example, the Paris Agreement, agreed in 2015, was strongly influenced by IPCC findings.
Raising Public Awareness: The IPCC has played a pivotal role in raising awareness about the seriousness of climate change. Its reports have brought attention to the risks of unchecked global warming and the importance of taking immediate action.
Criticism of the IPCC
Despite its many achievements, the IPCC has faced criticism, which generally falls into the following categories:
Conservatism: Some critics argue that the IPCC is too conservative in its estimates of climate risks. This stems from the IPCC’s need to build consensus among its wide-ranging contributors, which may lead to underestimating the severity of climate impacts.
Slow Process: The multi-step review process, while thorough, can take several years. As climate science is rapidly evolving, some argue that by the time an IPCC report is published, certain findings may already be outdated.
Political Influence: While the IPCC strives for objectivity, the final approval of its reports by governments can introduce political considerations. Some have criticized this process, claiming that governments may push to downplay certain findings that could negatively affect their economic or political interests.
Lack of Representation from Developing Nations: Although the IPCC involves scientists from all over the world, some argue that developing countries are still underrepresented, and their specific climate challenges are not given enough attention in the reports.
The IPCC: Vital Ongoing Global Climate Action
The IPCC plays a vital role in shaping global understanding of climate change.
By synthesising scientific research from around the world, it provides an invaluable resource for policymakers, helping guide global action on one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Whilst the actions and policy established to limit climate change can be debated, the IPCC’s efforts to deliver objective, comprehensive, and accessible information ensure their is a solid scientific basis to evidence that causes, impact and risks of inaction are clear.
For more information the challenge of climate change, and the role you can play to tackle this global challenge, check out these recommended resources :
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